Cold Caps Users Past and Present, to Save Hair
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Tonir -- I want to reach out through the screen right now and give you a great big hug!! The timing of your post is perfect, as I'm t-minus 1 week before I start my 4-rounds of TC chemo, and the ice chest w/the Arctic cold caps is sitting in my living room with all the other accessories. My dear friend/cold capping buddy and I will be met next Friday by a local area nurse that works with the Arctic cold cap company to train and educate us so that we (hopefully) get it right in the subsequent sessions. My oncologist wasn't necessarily pushing the process -- more, I believe, because she just didn't want to give me any false sense of hope -- but, on the other hand, she's certainly supportive of my efforts. I typically wear my hair on the shorter side, but thankfully have been blessed with relatively thick hair, so I'm hoping that the thinning won't be too noticeable.
Congratulations on completing your chemo!0 -
wow @Tonir ! Congratulations on completing your chemo! I’m thrilled for you ! Your hair looks fab ! So happy you kept most of it.
Mumma just finished her first round of EC ! Super proud of her she did so well and powered through the cold cap, the first 10 mins were a little uncomfortable but bearable she says ( I was scared she was going to give up but she didn’t ! ) after the 10 minutes she was alright and wasn’t cold at all, infact she felt warm and sometimes too warm through out her chemo !
She was a trooper today !
She is completing her last 60 mins of cold capping now and then we’ll be going home!
Best wishes to all you wonderful women !
Kindest,
Sarah xx
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ladies, I’m using penguin cold caps, have gone through one treatment, I’m still not sure about how to wash my hair well. I’ve done it twice in the tub, but my hair is SO oily now! Is that normal? I have straight thinnish hair- it was more thick but I began postpartum shedding right before chemo. I used baby shampoo last wash, but it still has this oily wet sheen to it. Should I get used to that or am I doing something wrong
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Hello Erob,
I have fine thin hair as well. I wash it twice a week with Avalon Organics Vitamin-B complex, in the shower with warm-ish water. For in between wash oilies I use generous amounts of dry shampoo. I combo the drug store brand with Bumble and Bumble (because B&B works better but is expensive!).I've had 6/12 taxol and so far so good.
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thanks for the tips shay76!
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For me the headache isn't so bad (i take tylenol beforehand, and an ativan), but i shiver through a lot of it (especially when icing hands and feet). I've mentioned this before, but i have found that putting a couple of thermacare heat wraps on my back and under my arms helps with the all-over coldness. good luck!! My LAST weekly TH is Tuesday. I cannot wait!!!!
Erob, I use Acure shampoo (recommended here) and my hair doesn't get too oily in between washings.
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Congrats, Tonir! I will post pics when I am done next week. I have lost very little hair so far.
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Bumble and Bumble dry shampoo: I've seen some of you refer to using it between the wet hair shampoos which need to be limited during chemo treatments. How well does this work without stressing the hair, and how often can you use it if you're washing your hair no more than twice a week? How close to your chemo treatments can you use this?
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Slomit, due to my fine thin hair getting greasy after a day (this was before chemo!) I have been using it daily with no issues. I feel the wet shampoo recommended by artic cold caps has been helpful as well, and my hair seems a lot cleaner then with my non-clear, non- organic that I used to use prior to cold caps.
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Im starting taxatere in a week. I would like to cold cap but not sure if I can handle the brain freeze. I have very fine hair to begin with and as I'm getting older it has thinned considerably. Is it possible to get frostbite if your hair is very fine? Also, several have mentioned still loosing some hair..is the hair that was lost growing back? Since its taxotere im afraid if i loose 20% or more on my head i will definately have a lot of bald spots but if it grows back it will be ok.
.
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Karheim,
This is my brutally honest review in terms of discomfort from one fine haired gal to another..My first time capping (artic rental system), I felt like the first 2 caps on day 1 were the worst. I was ready to quit, and didn't understand how people could tolerate this. By the third cap things were way better, and all subsequent sessions (now at 6) have been easily tolerated. I know what to expect and they just don't seem so bad. I take pain reliever. I found the chin strap to be the most annoying, and I lay a fluffy sock along the length for some cushion. I also wear a fleece sweater and 2 blankets, one that's electric.
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Shay, thanks for the info. It was exactly what I was looking for. To start, I've already purchased two bottles of the wet shampoo recommended on The Rapunzel Project page. I'm so used to washing my hair every day, sometimes every other day, I know I'll need something between since I've got a dry scalp but occasionally oily hair. Like you, I'll be using the Arctic caps. Right now, I'm just looking at March 30, which will be my 4th and final cycle.
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Shlomit - my mothers cold cap nurse recommended baby Johnson shampoo, or any “clear” gentle/mild shampoo.
She also said the cold cap brand paxman make their own shampoo and conditioner which patients at the hospital have purchased online and really liked ! I will order that for mum and see how she gets on with it. I think this week she’ll use baby Johnson
Xx
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@LoveandLight Can I suggest your mom source a shampoo that is organic? It is best to stay away from xenoestrogens (chemicals found in many beauty and cleaning products) Johnson’s products are heavily chemical even the baby shampoo! I’m sure Boots makes a clear delicate organic shampoo. Look for sls and paraben free products.
The Paxman cap is supposed to be one of the best! Your Mom is lucky to have access to it.
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Amelia - thank you so much for the tip !! i will for sure look into organic shampoos, do you recommend any ? I will pop into boots today and maybe John Bell & Croydon pharmacy as they have a variety of organic products.
The patients at the hospital seem to really like the paxman products! I will order that today. As for the machine it seems to do it’s job quite well as the women doing their chemo with my mother still have majority of their hair !
Xx
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Love/Light, the website for The Rapunzel Project (rapunzelproject.org) suggests the following for shampoos:
- Use a gentle shampoo with pH similar to that of the hair in the 4.5 to 5.5 range. Use clear shampoos, not "milky" or "creamy" ones. Shampoos should have no sulfates. Googling shampoos with 4.5 - 5.5 pH will help you find products that are appropriate.
- Do NOT use products that say volumizing, or that are opaque (rather than clear). Such products may coat the hair and keep oxygen from reaching the hair follicles.
I really admire all the support you're giving your mum.0 -
Help!!! I’m shedding
Day 20 and strands of hair are appearing out of nowhere. I did the wide comb (twice a day to keep the dreads at bay) and from the very back down near the nape a sizable amount came out. Tomorrow is chemo #2. I know dignicap says clean hair but I also know that best not wash during shedding. Wow - never thought in my lifetime that I would have to make a choice of this nature.
I washed on Thursday to zero shedding so maybe clean enough? Not like I’m breaking a sweat these days (although I probably should!).
Any tips of what to do (eat or not) day before? First chemo was horrific for me so trying to avoid feeling that bad. On last one I didn’t eat for three days prior so maybe I at the very least feed myself?
Already stressing from fear.
My medical marijuana prescription won’t be ready until Thursday:(
Good thing I have friends who have friends of friends. They’ve said no wine... so....
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Amelia - The onco explained to my mother that they try to keep the nausea at bay asap, because once it starts its harder to keep down, so an hour after my mums first EC infusion she just started to feel queasy and instead of her anti nausea med ( which they injected an hour before infusion ) and the pill for after she opted to take her CBD oil - approved by her onco and homeo doc. Within 10 minutes she felt fine and managed to eat a whole meal after, the same evening she felt little queasy again she took 4 drops of her CBD oil and was feeling better and had a full dinner.
Its day 3 now and she's been able to get on as normal and eat well. She's been drinking ALOT of water, perhaps try and stay as hydrated as possible and try eat for fuel. My mum said she felt better after she ate as she felt the chemo was sucking away her energy. Could you find a dispensary that sells CBD oil? opens up your appetite and keeps the nausea away ! x
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Shlomit - thank you for you kind words ! momma gave me life, the least i can do is make sure her life runs smoothly now during this journey.
I will look into the shampoos tonight. will order a bunch and see what she prefers and will let you know what she says ! Thank you for advice !
Kindest,
Sarah Xx
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You’re in the UK - so is your cbd just cbd or also thc? Is it FECO (full extract oil)? I can’t seem to find FECO in Europe except with an rx but have heard the Charlotte’s Web from one UK distributor is the next best thing. I have some regular CO2 extracted cbd, I’ll bring it tomorrow. Thanks for the suggestion.
Tell your Mom to also do Epsom salt baths. At least 40 minutes soaking in a cup or so, it really helps detox the body.
Drinking water is great too. I was insatiably parched in the days following chemo. I could stop drinking water - also great for ridding the body of the chemo.
Send Mom a hug from Italy.
Amelia
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Hi Amelia !
I don't believe it has THC, the one we have is "whole plant extract 30%" and its diluted in organic hemp seed oil. The dispensary i bought it from are called CBD brother. ( they can send you a free sample also - excellent service ) They have different strains, we have the "white bottle" which is indica. I used to use it when i had anxiety, so it helped mum with hers before her infusion - she stalled for like an hour because was so anxious - it was a disaster until she calmed down but then she pushed through and was fine !!
I would get in touch with them they are so helpful !
Big hugs !!
xx
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I'm also using PCC and would agree that the oily-ness is normal. Just make sure that you're gentle when you shampoo. I also started shedding on day 14- and the shower days are the worst
i feel like hair is just falling off constantly. I used maple holistic shampoo but recently switched to burt's bees baby shampoo since i read it's more gentle. I wonder if it ever stop or slow down at least; definitely looking forward to better days ahead! 0 -
Amelia you are right on track with "the big shed"-- we all went through it. It is when you will shed the largest all at once amount (over the course of several days) and the start of overall daily shedding in general. From this point on is where you need to be extra careful with combing and washing. Here is a pic of my sink after my daily comb. After over 3 months of such I cannot believe I still have hair on my head!
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Hello everyone,
I hope you all are doing well. Is there someone living in the South Florida area who might be willing to help with cold capping?
Thank you
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@loveandlight - thanks for the name of the CBD oil distributors. I have a medical prescription but my oil won't be ready until Friday! I'm using a cbd oil that I found in powder form, but it is only hemp, I believe.
@MamaFelice - are you done with treatments? My shedding is most grotesque. I was hoping that the wiry white ones would be the first to go, but they seem to be the most obstinate.
Cold capping expedition no. 2 was ugly. I just couldn't handle it this time around. I kept wanting to smush the cap against my skull for assurance, but that was even worse.
I figure I can handle another 2 rounds, but then 12 weekly?!?!
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Hi to all the new ladies on the thread ~ I'm almost 4 months PFC now, but plan to follow the thread a bit longer to hopefully "pay it forward" for all the awesome support I received here
Amelia - for me, chemo #2 capping was the worst... a visceral, "I could almost throw up this feels so bad" kind of sensation at the start of capping (not nausea, but it was so intense it made me feel terrible all over, not just my head". I wish I had asked for pain medication or something to help me relax at the time, but for the last 2 rounds I took one of my pain pills leftover from surgery about an hour before capping time. That really helped! Others have said that session #2 is the worst, so I don't know if it would've been better on it's own, but I wasn't going to take any chances. Talk with your MO and infusion staff about what it felt like and have a plan ready if it happens during #3 so that you can have something as soon as you need it.
Willow
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Lizabeth - WOOHOO!!!! CONGRATULATIONS, YOU DID IT! I am late posting, but have been thinking of you and that final chemo & bell-ringing on the 17th! I hope you & everyone else are feeling well and gaining strength with each day
Willow
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to all those who've finished chemo - how long did you wait to blow dry your hair? I'm using low heat on the ends of my bangs, but have just air-dried the rest of my hair since finishing 4 months ago. The penguin handout doesn't really say, so I'm guessing I'll have to wait the full 6 months???
Love to hear any tips from your experience!
Willow
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Following up on Willow's question about hair dryers...what about mousse and hairspray???
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DONE! 12 of 12 weekly Taxol treatments behind me!!!!!!! Will post before and after pix of my hair...i don't think there is a noticeable difference although to me my hair feels somewhat thinner. Chemo nurse said I would continue shedding for 1-2 months post-chemo. In any event, sooooooooo happy to never have to put that vile dignicap on my head again. (knock wood).
Did anyone start using root powders right away after last coldcap? I'm not sure how much longer I can deal with my gray stripe.
And thanks to everyone who offered advice, support, counsel.
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